She had slithered her way into my heart, my mind, and my soul. Now, it was next to impossible to get her out.Dikayahad tattooed her face on my heart and was living rent-free in my head.
After our second night together, I began entertaining some crazy thoughts about starting a family with her. Why not? She already belonged to me and was carrying my child. So, why not make it official?
I brushed it off as nothing serious, even though deep down, I knew it was my heart’s desire. She was everything I wanted and more—gorgeous, smart, resilient, stubborn, and fuckin’ determined. Perhaps the sex played a bigger role in fusing us together because I was more drawn to her after both times.
For some reason, I felt complete around her, and now that she wasn’t with me, it was like a piece of me was missing. Did I really allow myself to get so attached to a woman whose real name I didn’t even know?
Roman was right. I should do my homework on her; I should find out who she was and why she was so fierce. According to her, she was chasing down a lead on her friend who had gone missing, and then she went missing herself.
But why would an ordinary girl embark on such a dangerous journey? I didn’t want to believe that if I dug deeper, I might not like what I’d find. Was I even ready for the truth, or was I just stalling because I was afraid of facing it?
“Well, well, would you look at that?” a familiar voice cut through my thoughts. “If it isn’t Nikolai Tarasov himself?”
I turned toward the speaker, and there he was, approaching me with a smug smirk on his face. It was him, the bastard behind the attack on my nightclub weeks ago, Richard Kane.
He was dressed in a white tux, his gray hair slicked back, and his trimmed beard gleaming in the warm glow of the chandelier. Next to him stood a young girl, no older than myDikaya. She wore a fine white gown, with her red hair spilling in soft curls over one shoulder.
She looked poised, polished, and well-put-together at first glance. However, when I took a closer look, I couldn’t help seeing the truth hidden in plain sight—the cracks beneath the varnish. I spotted a faint bruise along her jaw, barely concealed by makeup.
The hollow gleam in her eyes told a story she dared not speak about. Despite her polished exterior, she was just a scared little girl doing her master’s bidding. She wasn’t Richard’s date; she was his property.
This bastard was behind all the major human trafficking across the city and beyond.
He halted before me with a quiet chuckle. “You know, you’re the last person I thought I’d run into tonight.”
“That makes the two of us,” I answered, my voice flat, expression blank.
“Come on, why the cold shoulder?” he teased, that pesky smirk still playing on his lips. “Surely, you’re not still mad because of that…incident.”
The bastard was referring to the attack on my nightclub.
I raised my brows. “Incident. Is that what you call it?” My expression darkened, my voice dropping to a deadly whisper. “You should be grateful I haven’t put you down where you stand.”
“Is that a threat, Nik?” His brows furrowed. “Because I don’t like threats.” He drew closer, his eyes pinned on me.
I took a casual sip from my glass. “Unlike you, Kane, I don’t make threats. I act without warning.”
A flicker of irritation and unease passed through his eyes, and he locked his jaw.
As the words hung in the air, eyes turned toward us, the tension between us growing by the second. I could feel my blood boiling, and if Kane didn’t take caution, he might force my hand. One wrong move, and things could quickly escalate, especially now that my men were already reaching for their weapons.
Kane looked around. Our little confrontation had drawn unnecessary attention to us. He knew it was useless to start a fight right here, right now. He’d lose and would most likely not make it out of this building alive. A few of his guards stood gallantly behind him, ready to defend their boss. Idiots.
“You can tell your men to stand down, Nik,” he said, his expression softening. “I’m not looking for trouble. Just stopped by to say hello.”
I didn’t respond, but my eyes never left his face.
He nodded once, tugging on the girl’s arm. “Come on, Maria.” And with that, he walked away with her by his side.
Kane hadn’t gone far when he turned back and added, “Oh, I almost forgot.” His eyes locked with mine. “Congratulations.”
I squinted, unsure of what that meant until he clarified.
“I have no doubt you’ll make a good father.” He winked at me, then proceeded to mingle with the crowd.
My heart skipped a beat.
He knew. He knew about the pregnancy.
